Earlier this month, the Meijer corporation agreed to a $35 million settlement with Montgomery County and 46 other jurisdictions. Meijer admits no wrongdoing.
Montgomery County will receive more than $6 million.
![Montgomery County Commissioner Judy Dodge believes a step down unit in the county jail will help identify people who need drug treatment. "In the long run it will save lives."](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/0b1dca4/2147483647/strip/true/crop/950x1080+65+0/resize/880x1000!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fe2%2Fe1%2Ff22156da46fdb7955d579d1bffaf%2Fdodge-2021.jpg)
Judy Dodge
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Montgomery County
County Commissioner Judy Dodge says the money will fund Opioid treatment and prevention programs, public education, and other resources to combat Opioid dependency.
One program is a step down unit at the county jail.
"As soon as an individual is arrested, they immediately are analyzed as far as is this a drug addiction problem, is it an alcohol problem and perhaps the best place for them is not a jail, says Dodge. "That is going to save a lot of overdose deaths."
Additional litigation against the remaining defendants is ongoing.